The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry

Unlike the faeries of Winter and Summer, the more subtle faeries of Spring and Fall choose a quiet, unassuming nature when it comes to the changing of the seasons. Bulbs are coaxed silently from the ground in the spring. New buds form on branch and bow. When summer gives way to winter, it is the autumn faeries that instigate the slow but steady bronzing of the leaves as the plants prepare for hibernation.

Upon our return, Arial and I were greeted by a shower of golden yellow leaves falling from the Hawthorne trees. The fall faeries have been very busy in my backyard as well as in the forests around the Realm. I reached into my pocket to make sure that I still had the summer queens gift. How appropriate that the fire faeries gift would be lightening. The little box issued an uninterrupted vibration.

There was a sudden rustle of leaves in the branches above us and I looked up to see several faeries jumping up and down in the tree causing a basket full of fresh leaves to cascade down on our heads. “Hey! go easy.” I brushed the fallen leaves out of my hair then turned to see Warren and Odette shuffle up each with a tiny rake in their hands.

Odette was first to reach me. “You sure are a sight for sore eyes Missus, been gone a while now.” She brushed a leaf off of my shoe and smiled up at me. “Not that the Mister would notice. Warren and I have been helpin’ with the cleanup. The toad is in hibernation already, goin’ to be an early winter I think.”  Odette always gives me the update on what has been happening around the house as soon as the sparkles dissipate.

My Chihuahua’s had been nosing around the ivy, investigating the strange smells and nosies that only they can detect, but as soon as I reappeared, they immediately surrounded me, tails whipping, whining impatiently to be picked up. Hearing all the commotion, Bill stuck his head out of the back door. “Hey, there you are. I have been looking all over for you. Have you been to the store?”

I’ve said it before, but it never ceases to fascinate me how time is so divergent between this world and the realm of the Fae, and  Bill’s naivete’ when it comes to my fairy friends is very charming.

Giving Arial a “what am I supposed to say” look,  I walked over to him and circled his neck with my arms. “You are so intuitive! That’s exactly where I’ve been, why don’t you go in and I’ll run out to the car and get the bags.”

His smile got even brighter. “Great, but don’t you need help?” I motioned to Arial to meet me around the corner as I walked him to the door. “No hun, they are small, I’ll get them.”

As soon as the door closed, I darted around the corner of the house and nearly collided with Lilly, my neighbor from down the street. ” Oh! Hi, I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to be standing there!” Arial was hovering a little above and behind her with one finger over her lips. “I was.. ah…just going to the car…to get some… groceries, yeah, that’s it, groceries.”

Lilly’s eyes twinkled. “Yes dear, I know.” She patted me on the shoulder and handed me a bag. “I have been cooking all day and I made so much more than I could possibly eat and I thought, I’ll bet that nice couple up the street would love some fresh, hot pot roast.” She peeked in the bag. “There’s potatoes and carrots in there too. I think you’ll find that they are done just the way Bill likes.”

I looked from Lilly, to the bag, and back. “Why…thank you… I guess. How did you know that I… At this point I was totally confused. From the first time I had met Lilly I had the feeling that she was somehow different. Charming, but different.

I continued. “Lilly, I can’t take this, it’s to much.” I tried to hand the bag back but she would have nothing of it. “Nonsense dear, like I said, I was cooking anyway.” She gave me a wink, then gently turned me around by the shoulders and gave me a slight nudge. “Go on then, Bill’s waiting for his dinner.”

I took a step or two then turned to thank her once more thinking, he might be expecting his his dinner, but fully cooked from the bag? but when I looked, she had disappeared, leaving a slight scent of roses lingering on the breeze.

You know, I am going to get to the point that nothing will surprise me anymore. Looking up I noticed Arial with a sheepish grin on her face, swaying a little and wringing  her hands. I had to ask,”what was that all about?”. Before she could answer, Bill stuck his head around the corner. “You coming?”

Startled, I jumped, then made my way quickly up the steps. “Yes, yes, here I am. I hope you’re hungry!”  I was hoping that I sounded nonchalant. He took the bag and took a deep breath. “Smells great, lets eat!” To my astonishment, he didn’t find it at all odd that I had brought home a fully cooked roast dinner.

Warren and Odette shuffled quickly along behind us, smacking their lips. “Can we come to dinner?” I noded, and wondered as we all went in to dinner just how Lilly knew Bill’s name.

© Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009.

Oh, the glorious mornings of Spring! It appears that Queen Orlaith has released her icy grip on the world and has given her blessings for renewal and growth.

In my garden, the flower faeries of the spring season are doing a marvelous job of coaxing the early blossoms  out of the the Hawthorne trees and Laurel bushes. After the flowers came out, I saw faeries tiptoeing all over them changing them from white, to pink. Warren and Odette are lending a helping hand in the new flower garden by planting perennials  and ground covers. I get to sit on the patio feeling the cool morning breeze on my face, drinking my coffee, and feeling generally right with the world.

I had closed my eyes and was reflecting on the differences between this year and the last. I knew that it would be nice to have my faerie friends to help me in the garden, but I hadn’t given much thought to what it would be like to have the gnomes.  Just as I was thinking about Warren and Odette, a loud crash came from under the Laurels.

“Oh, do be watchin’ what yer doin’ Nam!” I heard Odette’s high voice and the scurrying of tiny feet. Sitting bolt upright, I opened my eyes to see a strange gnome standing by a large rock that he had rolled out of the ivy. He stood five times taller than Odette and had large beefy hands that he brought together as he bowed. The rock had rolled into a flower pot at the edge of the lawn causing it to shatter, spilling its dirt out onto the lawn. Odette had a look of chagrin on her face. “I’m sorry Missus, Nam gets carried away with himself, he doesn’t know his own strength.” She waved at Warren, “Papa, come have a look at the border, we will have to be cleanin’ up this dirt now. Nam’s had a wee bit of an accident.”

Without a word, Warren hobbled over and started to shovel the dirt into his Lilliputian sized wheelbarrow. We watched him work for a minute, Nam was helping by throwing large fist fulls of soil into the the ivy behind us. I was looking at Nam with what must have been a puzzled look on my face  when Odette looked up. ” Saints preserve me! I clean forgot, you haven’t met Nam yet.” She waddled over and grabbed the edge of Nam’s tunic. “Drop the dirt Nam, come over and meet the Missus. It’s her lovely garden we’ll be callin’ home now.”

Nam looked over his shoulder and proffered a huge grin, after wiping his hands on his breeches he jumped up on the foot of the lounge and proceeded to do an amazing imitation of a tightrope walker as he edged his way along the seat. When he got closer, he took my hands in his, looked at me closely and said, “Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends whom we choose.” Then he jumped down and without another word continued throwing dirt into the ivy.

Odette was smiling and shaking her head. “Nam is Warren’s cousin on his mother side. He’s always been a wee bit different. Had a bit of the wanderlust a ways back and ended up on a mountain in Tibet with them monks. Guess he felt it was in keepin’ with his given name, Namaste. The air must of done him good, he’s as big as a mountain himself now! Not much for talkin’ though. I hope you’ll be wantin’ another helpin’ hand.” She looked up at me with a plea in her eyes. He’s good with the heavy stuff!”

I looked over at Warren and Nam, they were sitting on the ground teasing a snail that had crawled out from under an ivy leaf. Well, Nam was sitting on the ground, Warren was using Nam’s leg as a chair. “Oh, I don’t see that it will be a problem, I kind of like him, even if he is a bit larger than your average gnome. I don’t think the dogs will be chasing him around!” Odette jumped up and down, clapping her hands like a little girl, “Thank you Missus! It will be such fun havin’ him here!” She ran off to tell the others the good news.

Just as the gnomes were retreating back under the Laurel’s, Arial made a sparkling entrance into the backyard through the ivy hedge. I looked around,”Hey! were have you been latley? I have to ask you about Bill.” I stood up and held out my hand for her to land on. “What’s this I hear about him not seeing faeries?…”

© Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009.